Embossed metallic plate for railway cars



Aug. 21, I928.

A. E. SMALL EMBOSSED METALLIC PLATE FOR RAILWAY CARS I Filed Dec. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 art/l w'i'ff md'll Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,826

A. E. SMALL EMBOSSED ummc PLATE FOR RAILWAY was Filed Dec. 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 I Evenior 4 11/0 urE'. Small Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

I UNITED STATES 1,681,826 PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORIORATION OF DELAWARE.

EMBOSSED METALLIC PLATE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Application filed December tion between strength, rigidity and resiliency.

' Another object of the invention is to obtain this result with the least amount of raw material and to provide a finished article of the least possible weight consistent with strength requirements.

Another object of the invention is to obtain the desired strength, rigidity and resiliency by forming a metallic plate with integral embossments, each embossment comprismg a constant width central portion which divides to form parallel constant width end portions at each end of the embossment and also forming constant width corrugations between and parallel to the adjacent central portions of the embossments.

Another object is to provide such a corrugated metallic plate which can be formed by pressing'it (when heated, if necessary) between dies which move toward each other in one direction only.

The construction may be used wherever a strong, resilient panel is desired, but is especially adaptable forrailway car structures, such as end walls, side or end doors, hopper doors floors, roots, etc, and I have shown and claimed herein the construction used as an end wall of a railway car.

' It is well known that the end walls of railway cars are more likely to be broken or otherwise injured than the side walls. This is due to the inertia thrusts and pressures caused by the shiftin of the cargoes when the train starts or steps. These thrust-s may be local,

' tending to distort the end in some particular spot, as, for example, when a piece of piping gor lumber shifts lengthwise imparting a blow against the end wall of the car; or there may be a general tendency to break out the end wall as a whole or tear it away from the framingj For the purpose, therefore, of greater strength and durability, car ends have been constructed of metal plates corrugated or formed with ribs to impart the desired strength, rigidity and resiliency. My construction is especially adaptable to end walls 2, 1926. Serial No. 152,253.

for railway cars (of any type) because it has the strength to resist the continuous pounding of the shifting loads thereon and has the resiliency necessary to absorb these numerous shocks without distortion. Distortion of an end wall might bend the brake mast, thereby causing interference with the operation of the hand brake mechanism. Furthermore, such distortion might reduce the end ladder clearance beyond that prescribed by the Interstate Commerce Commission. hen made of several plates secured together the end wall can be made stronger where greater strength is required. A wooden inside lining is required in a railway house car for blocking the lading to and for compliance with the requirements of the Bureau of Explosives of the American Railway Association. Such a wooden lining can be easily applied to my construction.

While I have described my configuration and arrangement of corrugations as used to reinforce the plates of an end wall of a railway car, similarly reinforced plates may be used as a side door for a railway car by providing a frame around its outer edges, or such a reinforced plate may be used as an end door of an automobile railway car by providing the necessary hinges, latches and the usual attachments; also it may be used to reinforce a metallic plate whenused as a drop door of a hopper car by providing the hinges and other usual raising and locking mechanisms.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a railway vice applied thereon.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a railway gondola car with my device applied thereon.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4% of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a plate reinforced by my arrangement of embossments.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fi Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fi Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fi Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 shows a modified form wherein the embossments and corrugations are of the same depth and are of constant depth. Fig. 10 is similar to Fig. 6.

The end wall structure comprises a panel composed of one or more metallic plates with my particular configuration and arrangement or" embossments formed therein. In Figs. 1 and 2 the embossed plates 1, 2 and 3 box car with my deextend from top to bottom of the end wall and may be formed with integral flanges 4 along the vertical edges of the outer plates which overlap and are secured to the side wall 5 of the car by any suitable means. The top edges of the plates are secured beneath the fascia board 7 and the meeting edges of the plates overlap and are secured together by rows of rivets 8 and the lower edges or the plates are secured to the end sill 9.

Figs. 3 and t show a form of my invention applied to a gondola type of railway car wherein only one plate is used to form the end panel which extends "from side to side of the car and may be provided along the vertical edges with flanges which overlap and are secured to the side walls by any suitable means. The top edge of the plate is secured to a top chord, while the lower edge is secured to the end sill.

The plate is provided with a plurality of parallel embossments, each embossment comprising a central portion 11 which is oi constant .width and preferably of constant depth. This central portion divides to form a plurality of constant width parallel end portions 12 at each end of the embossnxent which may be shallower than the central portion. When the central portion is relatively deep the end portions are preferably made relatively shallow at their ends and vary in depth until they merge into the central portion.

The metallic plate is also provided with constant width minor corrugations 13 positioned between and parallel to the central portions of the embossments. When the central portions 11 of the embossments are relatively deep these minor corrugations 13 preterably correspond in depth to the adjacent central portions of the embossments, but iii the embossments are constant in depth then the minor corrugations are preferably also constant in depth and of the same depth as the embossments.

The end portions let of the embossments terminate into the plate adjacent its edge in line with each other and preferably adjacent the frame member (sill, plate, stile or post) to which the plate is attached. The ends of the minor corrugations terminate into the plate adjacent the dividing places of the central portions of the embossments. The end portions of each embossmont and the adjacent end portions of adjacent I embossments are preferably spaced apart distances equal to their widths so as to form a sinuous configuration; furthermore, the central portions of the embossments and the minor corrugations are preferably spaced apart distances equal to their widths to form a sinuous configuration.

The broad feature ot a metallic plate having a plurality of embossments formed therein, each comprising a central portion which divides to form a plurality oi end portions at each end of the embossment with the plate also formed with corrugations positioned between the central portions is disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 1522M, filed December 2, 1926.

ihe drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, it is obvious that various modifications thereot' within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I. claim:

1. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of parallel embossments formed therein, each embossment comprising a constant width central portion which divides to form constant width end port-ions at each end of the embossment, said metallic plate also formed with constant width corrugations, said corrugations positioned between and parallel to said central portions andterminating into the plate adjacent the dividing place of said central portions.

2. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of parallel embossments formed therein, each embossment comprising a relatively deep constant width central portion which divides to form shallower constant width end portions at each end of the embossment, said metallic plate also formed with constant width corrugations, said corrugations positioned between and parallel to said central portions and terminating into the plate adjacent the dividing place of said central portions.

3. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of parallel embossinents formed therein, each embossment comprising a relatively deep constant width and constant depthcentral portion which divides to form shallower constant width and varying depth end portions at each end ofthe embossment, said metallic plate also formed with constant width corrugations, said corrugations positioned between and parallel to said central portions and terminating into the plate adjacent the dividing place of said central portions. I

4:- In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of parallel embossments formed therein, each embossment comprising a relatively deep constant width and constant depth central portion which divides to form shallower constant width and varying depth end portions at each end of the embossment, said metallic plate also formed with constant width and constant depth corrugations. said corrugations positioned between and parallel to said central portions and terminatinginto the plate adjacent the dividing place of said central portions.

,5. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality ot'parallel embossmentstormed therein, each embossment comprising a constant width central portion which divides to form constant width end portions at each end of the embossment, said metallic plate also formed with constant width corrugations corresponding in depth to the adjacent central portions, said corrugations positioned between and parallel to said central portions and terminating into the plate adjacent the dividing place of said central portions.

6. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of parallel embossments formed therein, each embossment comprising a constant width central portion which divides to form constant width end portions at each end of the embossment, said metallic plate also formed with constant width corrugations, said corrugations positioned between and parallel to said central portions and terminating into the plate adjacent the dividing place of said central por tions, said end portions being spaced apartdistances equal to their width.

7. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of parallel embossments formed therein, each embossment comprising a constant width central portion which divides to form constant width end portions at each end of the embossment, said metallic plate also formed with constant width corrugations, said corrugations positioned bet-ween and parallel to said central portions and terminating intothe plate adjacent the dividing place of said central portions, said end portions being spaced apart distances equal to their width, and said central portions and said corrugations being spaced apart distances equal to their width.

8. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of parallel embossments formed therein, each embossments comprising a relatively deep constant width and constant depth central portion which divides to form shallower constant width and varying depth end portions at each end of the embossment, said metallic plate also formed with constant width and constant depth corrugations corresponding in depth to the adjacent central portions, said corrugations positioned between and parallel to said central portions and terminating into the plate adjacent the dividing place of the said central portions, said end portions being spaced apart distances equal to their width, and said central portions and said corrugations being spaced apart distances equal to their width.

9. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate formed with a plurality of constant width parallel embossments with the alternate embossments extended and divided to form a greater number of constant width parallel embossments adjacent the ends thereof.

10. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate formed with a plurality of constant width parallel embossments terminating within the plate with the alternate embossments extended and divided to form a greater number'of constant width parallel embossments adjacent the ends thereof.

11. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of embossments formed therein terminating within the plate which merge together between their opposite ends to form a plurality of fewer constant width parallel central portions, said plate also formed with a plurality of shorter constant width einbossments positioned alternately between said central portions and parallel therewith.

12. In a railway car structure, a metallic plate having a plurality of embossments formed therein terminating within the plate which merge together between their opposite ends to form a plurality of fewer constant width and varying depth parallel central portions, said plate also formed with a plurality of shorter constant width and constant depth embossments positioned alternately between said central portions and parallel therewith.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

